Test & technics: SIG Sauer P226 LDC II Tacops

The SIG Sauer's P226 has long been a classic. In 2014, the P226 LDC model with long dust cover was introduced. Three years later, here comes the latest version of LDC II Tacops. We tested this new model and we know what the pistol has to offer.

SIG Sauer introduced the P226 LDC model in 2014. The LDC tag stands for "Long Dust Cover" and refers to the presence of an oversized frame front extension. In this case, it is a steel dust cover that extends to the muzzle of the weapon, equipped with a tactical rail on the underside. This has increased the unloaded weight of the SIG-Sauer LDC to 1230 grams. The greater weight of the weapon significantly reduces the muzzle climb and makes the sight realignment on the target more rapid.

This technical solution is interesting and effective, so that IPSC guns that adopt it in the Production Division are becoming increasingly numerous. We are referring to the Tanfoglio Stock II and III but also to the CZ 75 Shadow 1 and 2.

History of the SIG Sauer P226 LDC II Tacops

In the early 1980s SIG Sauer designed a new gun based on the proven P220 model to take part in the tender for the new US military pistol. The German proposal was the P226. In the selection it joined other well-known brands such as Beretta, Colt, FN and Smith & Wesson. To counteract competition in terms of fire power, SIG Sauer modified the P220 frame, making it suitable for a double stack magazine instead of the single stack version of the previous model. The result was a weapon capacity of 15 9x19 rounds, but they were not enough for the German weapon to win since, as you know, the competition was won by Beretta with its model 92.

The fact that the P226 is anyway a very good weapon is confirmed by the numerous military and police forces all around the world that use it. In addition to the US secret services, the P226 has been adopted by the Navy SEALs, the British Special Air Service (SAS), the Israeli and Dutch armed forces and the German Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA).

Franco Palamaro

The SIG Sauer P226 LDC II Tacops with long dust cover and in Stainless Steel.

Technichs of the SIG Sauer P226 LDC II Tacops

Michael Schippers

The SIG Sauer P226 LDG II Tacops is a classic locked-breech pistol.

The first version of the SIG Sauer P226 was quite different from the current version. The original model was equipped with a stamped metal slide and an alloy frame. Subsequently the P226 was also produced with a steel frame (P226S). On current production models, the slide is made of billet-machined steel and the frame is alloy.

The gun operates by a Browning-Petter-SIG locked-breech system that locks the barrel and slide together using an enlarged breech section of the barrel locking into the ejection port.

The Tacop action is mixed (single/double) with a standard trigger weight which is slightly above the average. The single-action trigger pull weight is around two kilograms (2.2 lbs). The Tacop sports the new SRT (Short Reset Trigger) kit with a very short (1.2 mm) trigger reset. This is a great advantage in the more dynamic sport shooting disciplines, such as IPSC, as the shooter can noticeably reduce time between shots.

The most notable innovation are the magwell plastic grips. Besides increasing the gripping surface and improving the handle ergonomics (in theory, at least), they feature a downward extension that actually acts as a mini-magwell, making it easier to insert the magazine.However, the new grips did not seem convincing to us. On the one hand they are not perfectly coupled to the frame, creating some interstices along the edges, on the other their surface does not offer a particularly good grip due to the plastic used, which is very hard.

The hammer profile is new too: it has been made noticeably heavier to offer a greater inertia and therefore a more positive strike. The magazines (two as a standard equipment) produced by the Italian Mec-Gar company are convincing and easy to load with 20 cartridges (but during the tests we managed to put 21 rounds into them). They are easy to insert and are positively retained.

The sights are interesting, consisting of a Hi-Viz front sight with interchangeable green, red or white fiber optic inserts (supplied as standard), while the adjustable rear sight is produced by the Italian LPA Company and has white dots.

At the shooting range with the P226 LDC II Tacops

Michael Schippers

The dust cover of the P226 LDC II Tacops is extremely durable.

In the accuracy test, the GECO Hexagon cartridges shot a pattern 38 mm in diameter. The full metal jacketed Prvi Partizan (PPU) cartridges were even better, producing a shot pattern of just 32 mm.

The excellent quality sights and the SRT trigger kit enable the shooter to make the most of the good SIG Sauer P226 LCD II Tacop intrinsic accuracy and quickly shoot another round at the target.

The SIG Sauer P226 LDC II Tacops looks good also in the black version.

The new SIG Sauer P226 LDC II Tacops is a high-quality pistol which shoots very well and offers the shooter with interesting features such as the high-capacity magazine, which makes it perfect for Dynamic Shooting competitions. It also makes a good impression for static shooting from 25 meters.

In our opinion, the only sour note of this gun are the low-grip hard plastic grips, of inadequate quality compared to the rest of the pistol.

IWA 2019 / New from SIG Sauer: new Mastershop models. Four new pistols and among them two absolute novelties from the SIG Sauer Mastershop. The P226 X-Five Performance and P226 Facettes, together with the P210-based Skeleton and Midnight models are real masterpieces. Prices and details can be found here.

The compact variant of the U.S. Army’s Modular Handgun System (MHS) successfully completed an unprecedented 12,000-round Lot Acceptance Test with zero stoppages. “An extraordinary display of reliability,” according to SIG. The 9mm M17 / M18 striker-fired pistols are being adopted by the US Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.

The new SIG machine gun is a modern multi-caliber design that was developed with the US Army's needs in mind. Already available in .338 Norma Magnum and 7.62x51mm NATO, it can in fact be easily adapted to chamber the new XM1168 6.8mm GP round for the Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) program. The all4shooters Team captured some exclusive photos of the SLMAG: let's see them together.

SHOT Show 2019 / New from SIG Sauer: High performance Elite “Military Grade” 9mmx19 NATO pistol ammunition. We could already testfire this new type of ammo at the SIG Sauer Premier Media Day. We'll provide more exclusive info about the brandnew cartridges "Elite Carry M17" and "Elite Range M17" - both optimized for the use in semi-auto pistols like the SIG Sauer P320 models.

SHOT Show 2019/ / New from SIG Sauer: in the P320 line, the new XCompact pistol, updated versions of the XVTAC and XFull handguns, and pistol versions of the MCX and MPX carbines, the MCX Canebrake in .300 Whisper and MPX Copperhead in 9mm. Let's have a look together at the most important new models. We already had the chance to testfire them...

SHOT Show 2019 / New SIG Sauer models for 2019: This exclusive invite-only event, held just before the Industry Day at the Range, unveils all new products from SIG Sauer. Many professional demos, Team SIG attempts a world record, and lots of hands-on shooting and testing of new SIG guns and optics. Here you'll find our short recap what's new for 2019...

The MPX family has a new member! With a total length of 14.5” and a barrel length of 3.5”, the new variant of the MPX series is a powerful, compact package chambered in 9mm. It’s equipped with an integral muzzle brake and the new SIG SAUER Pivoting Contour Brace (PCB).

Welcome to all4shooters.com! The international website for hunters and sport shooters with many product reviews and tests about firearms, ammunition, optics and accessories!

BE A SHOOTER!Firearms, ammunition, optics, and passion: these are the four key elements that unite shooting fans from all around the world. all4shooters.com is the international platform that is your window to this fascinating world – in four languages.

Our motto at all4shooters.com and all4hunters.com is simple:We are here for all those who live out their passion for hunting and shooting, either in competitions or as a hobby – or who simply enjoy firearms, optics and related accessories. At all4hunters.com, we focus on hunting rifles and shotguns, hunting ammunition and the associated optics and equipment. But we also inspire you with real stories of passionate hunters or sport shooters. We also provide the latest news from around the world and everything you need to know about new products and developments relating to your particular passion. We supply essential information about each respective market. In-depth understanding of each individual market is our strength – along with our ability to provide worldwide distribution via the Web.

all4shooters.com / all4hunters.com is fascinating, multi-facetted, informative and explanatory at the same time. Our basic philosophy is to report in a balanced, impartial and journalistic neutral manner so that our users and partners in the industry can track current developments in a timely manner and better understand their impact.

Our Services:Our international platform in four languages with corresponding social media appearances on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube reaches an active, interested and international audience of milions – every month! For the first time, we are able to get younger people excited about our topics again.

What makes all4shooters.com different?For one thing, it's the journalistic and editorial content we provide, but also the value-added services we offer. Regardless of whether you’re interested in presentations of the latest products at major international trade fairs – or are looking for a fascinating YouTube video, we’ve got it.

Communication via more effective channels:In printed media, information generally flows just one way. Our web-based platform, on the other hand, allows for two-way communications – making it easier for users and providers to interact.

Print media, websites, social media, YouTube – all of it coordinated internationally and from a single source. Whatever you’re looking for, chances are you will find it on our website or by using Google search at all4shooters.com / all4hunters.com.